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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. band — a ring
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — finally
  11. bat — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — to go on
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. last — final
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. band — a music group

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