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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fall — the season
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. game — a match
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — in music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. club — for golf
  24. spring — a coil

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