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: wax · shower · rock · spell · stem · mark · chair · clip

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. clip — a video
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stem — to come from
  8. clip — to cut
  9. spell — magic
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spell — letters
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rock — 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