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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. toast — bread
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitch — completely
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — a box
  15. roll — a cake
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chest — of your body
  23. roll — a list
  24. branch — a division

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