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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. sharp — clever
  7. march — music
  8. kid — child
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — a signal
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. stem — to come from
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. kid — to tease
  20. scale — size or range
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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