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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — a tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. board — to get on
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — in control

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