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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. band — a music group
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. net — in sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — for catching
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a ring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stand — to bear

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