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 · coach · chair · cue · band · date · branch · wake

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. band — a ring
  24. branch — of a tree

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