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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a song
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — a gift
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — a path

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