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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — to come from
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. present — the time now
  13. chest — a box
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — there
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

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