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: track · chest · court · race · roll · bound · cabinet · stem

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — a path
  7. chest — of your body
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chest — a box
  15. race — the arms race
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — a list
  22. track — a song
  23. court — for sport
  24. bound — certain

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