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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — a song
  12. file — a document
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — a break
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a path
  24. stem — of a plant

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