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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hand — help
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ground — crushed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fine — high quality

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