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 · ball · bass · tear · patient · ground · press · sharp

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stem — to come from
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ground — a position
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ground — the earth
  12. press — a publisher
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bass — the instrument

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