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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. spell — letters
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — soda

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