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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. degree — from a university
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. degree — temperature
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cue — for pool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lean — thin
  24. spring — of water

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