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: mug · stand · swing · lean · rash · cell · fork · stem

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — thin
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rash — a series
  11. mug — a face
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. swing — music

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