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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stem — to come from
  5. game — a match
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — in music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — a container
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — help
  24. key — the most important part

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