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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. key — the most important part
  4. club — for golf
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. stem — to come from
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — in music
  18. chair — a leader
  19. face — to confront
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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