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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. tube — the underground
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mug — a face
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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