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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. swing — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. band — a ring
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — to pay attention

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