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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. field — a subject
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. field — farmland
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — for sport
  21. pop — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — a trace

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