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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — of ice
  3. drill — a practice
  4. file — a line of people
  5. drill — army training
  6. field — a subject
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. field — farmland
  17. bark — to shout
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. file — a document
  24. stem — of a plant

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