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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. season — of the year
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cell — a phone
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fall — to drop
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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