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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stem — to come from
  9. chair — a leader
  10. board — a committee
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. race — a contest
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — to get on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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