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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — a division
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — in music

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