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 120 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: kick · fall · temple · stem · rule · cold · present · root

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rule — a law
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cold — not warm
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cold — an illness
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — the season
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. present — there
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — in football

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