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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. squash — to crush
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. squash — the sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. sharp — with an edge

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