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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bat — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — music
  24. branch — a division

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