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: cap · stem · key · bowl · chest · cell · staff · rash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chest — a box
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chest — of your body

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