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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — of a king
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mug — a face
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — to come from
  8. scale — in music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — the season
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. court — of law
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — for weighing

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