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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. race — the arms race
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — for catching
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. race — humankind
  13. pop — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. bank — of a river
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — soda
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a match
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — in sport

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