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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — for sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. cold — not warm
  15. chip — for betting
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chip — to eat

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