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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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