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 124 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. race — the arms race
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stem — to come from
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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