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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. track — a song
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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