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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. board — to get on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — to come from
  7. dip — to sink
  8. board — a committee
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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