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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — of water
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — to push
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. current — electric
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — happening now

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