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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cell — a phone
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. perch — for a bird

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