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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. tube — a container
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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