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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. race — humankind
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. land — to come down
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lean — to bend

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