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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — low music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — a division
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. key — the most important part
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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