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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chest — a box
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — to come from

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