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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. last — to go on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cap — a lid
  7. present — the time now
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — finally
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. last — final
  19. wake — a trail
  20. present — there
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — hasty

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