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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. land — ground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. field — farmland
  11. face — to confront
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — a stick
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. staff — employees
  22. face — part of the head
  23. field — for sport
  24. land — a country

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