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: mouse · stem · arm · game · spell · tear · jam · scale

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tear — from crying
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spell — magic
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — in music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. jam — a tight spot

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