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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. track — a path
  3. object — an aim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ground — the earth
  6. march — the month
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to click
  11. march — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — a position
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — what's left
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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