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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. game — a match
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. club — for golf
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. spring — a coil
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spring — the season
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — wild animals
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for dancing

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