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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rule — government
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. race — a contest
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — a law
  12. cap — of ice
  13. club — for golf
  14. cap — a hat
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stem — to come from
  17. club — a group
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — a lid

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