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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pit — in a race
  21. last — finally
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stem — to come from

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