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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitch — completely
  8. file — a line of people
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a document
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — the underground

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