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 · stem · prune · bay · bat · file · patient · arm

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bat — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. file — a tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. swing — to play on
  21. file — a document
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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