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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — electric
  16. march — music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. march — the month
  21. current — happening now
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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