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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — there
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cap — a hat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bass — low music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — of a river
  19. present — the time now
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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