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: cell · stem · press · game · craft · last · fine · straw

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. press — to push
  3. last — final
  4. cell — in biology
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — to go on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. craft — a skill
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cell — a phone
  18. press — a publisher
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — to come from
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. last — finally
  24. game — wild animals

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