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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. file — a line of people
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. march — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — with an edge

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