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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — final
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — of the year
  19. last — finally
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. last — to go on
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. race — humankind
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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