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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stem — to come from
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — of the year
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. season — in sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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