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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spring — of water
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. land — ground
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — the season
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wax — to grow
  20. land — a country
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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