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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — an aim
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — tied together
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bound — certain
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hide — to keep secret

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