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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — help
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — of water
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spring — the season

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