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: chest · current · rush · cell · pit · bulb · stem · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. current — of water
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cell — in biology
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rush — to hurry

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