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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · clip · race · craft · stand · stem

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. craft — a skill
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stem — to come from
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stem — a stem cell

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