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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. march — the month
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. march — music
  8. root — the cause
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — in biology

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