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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fall — to drop
  5. race — a contest
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. degree — temperature
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — to come from
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — clever

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