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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cell — a phone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — the month
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stem — to come from

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