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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. row — to paddle
  7. march — the month
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. march — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. land — to come down
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chair — a leader

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