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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — a company
  4. current — of water
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — electric
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lean — thin
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — steady
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cell — in biology
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stem — of a plant

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