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: stem · shower · lash · file · chest · mine · ruler · scale

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. scale — size or range
  4. shower — rain
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chest — a box
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. file — a document
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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