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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hand — help
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — certain

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