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. The water is too ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cold — not warm
  3. band — a music group
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — the underground
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cold — an illness
  10. band — a ring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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