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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — government
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spring — the season
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bark — to shout
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spring — of water
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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