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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. clip — a video
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — for sport
  19. rock — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — to come from
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fall — the season

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