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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stem — to come from
  18. root — the cause
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitcher — a jug

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