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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cold — not warm
  10. roll — a list
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cold — an illness
  16. chest — a box
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chest — of your body

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