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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hand — help
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bound — certain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — tied together
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. face — to confront
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fall — to drop
  24. trunk — of a car

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