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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cap — of ice
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. stem — to come from
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — a video
  9. drill — a practice
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — for paper
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — army training
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cap — a lid
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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