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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — ground
  13. mate — to breed
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — to come down
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — a country
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — for a computer

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