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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — to come from
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — a measure
  14. march — music
  15. current — electric
  16. rash — hasty
  17. roll — a cake
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. march — the month
  20. wind — moving air
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. roll — a list

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