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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. swing — in golf
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — a company
  8. cell — in biology
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hand — help
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — low music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bass — the instrument

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