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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — a line
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rest — a break

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