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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chest — a box
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hand — help

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