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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. board — a committee
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — to get on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. mine — for digging
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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