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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — humankind
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — for a lock
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — in biology
  14. race — a contest
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chest — a box
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ground — crushed

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