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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. swing — to play on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — to go on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — to bear
  16. last — final
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — in golf
  19. face — to point toward
  20. swing — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — finally
  24. ball — a dance

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