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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. march — the month
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ground — crushed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — to shout
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. press — to push
  14. march — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stem — to come from
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — to be able to
  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