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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — to come from
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — a lid

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