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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. land — a country
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — of the year
  16. land — to come down
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stem — a stem cell

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