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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. present — the time now
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — there
  13. mug — a face
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. last — final
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — army training
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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