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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — a group
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for golf
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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