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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. firm — a company
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. firm — steady
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. hand — help
  23. ground — a position
  24. pound — to hit hard

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