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: mug · scale · lash · stem · wake · stick · chair · coach

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — a face
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. scale — in music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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