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: swing · hand · stem · pass · firm · sharp · drill · shower

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. swing — to play on
  3. firm — steady
  4. swing — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pass — a permit
  13. shower — rain
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. drill — army training
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. shower — to wash

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