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 116 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: game · trunk · stem · fall · patient · squash · march · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a match
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fall — to drop
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fall — the season
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. game — wild animals
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — to come from
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — decided

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