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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chair — a leader
  5. current — of water
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — of water
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — a coil
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stem — to come from

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