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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — farmland
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a face
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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