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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. object — to protest
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. net — after costs
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — in sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — a phone
  24. net — for catching

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