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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. coach — a trainer

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