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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. press — a publisher
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — to paddle
  15. game — a match
  16. press — to push
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. row — a line

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