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: cabinet · bowl · stem · wound · mine · spell · bear · rule

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rule — government
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stem — of a plant

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