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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — in golf

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