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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. field — for sport
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — in geometry

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