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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — child
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. hand — help
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. drill — army training
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. craft — boats

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