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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. season — of the year
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to click
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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