ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. file — a document
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — to come from
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cell — in biology

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com