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 124 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. clip — a video
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bear — the animal

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