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 120 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: stem · pass · cell · sharp · trunk · wound · fan · lean

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — to come from
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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