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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in biology
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — a phone

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