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: fan · stick · march · coach · cell · fall · leaves · stem

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — the month
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — a phone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fall — the season
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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