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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — a short time
  11. field — a subject
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — in music

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