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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ground — a position
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stem — to come from
  7. swing — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rock — a stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — crushed
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — out of danger

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