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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chest — a box
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. present — the time now
  24. spell — magic

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