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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stem — to come from
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — a jug

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