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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. roll — a list
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. perch — the fish
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spring — the season
  17. race — a contest
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spring — of water
  20. stem — to come from
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spring — a coil
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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