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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. capital — money
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. capital — a city
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — the arms race
  18. toast — bread
  19. row — a line
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. race — humankind
  22. stem — to come from
  23. race — a contest
  24. patient — a sick person

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