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 120 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. firm — steady
  4. stem — to come from
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hand — help
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spring — of water
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. firm — decided
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bass — low music
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. swing — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spring — the season
  24. bass — the fish

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