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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. club — a group
  4. present — a gift
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cold — an illness
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. club — for dancing
  22. scale — in music
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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