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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. file — a tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. race — the arms race
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — a contest
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — in music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rest — a break
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a document
  24. cabinet — ministers

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