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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — soda
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — to be able to

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