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 · march · ruler · wake · scale · rock · chest · mug

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. march — music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — a face
  6. rock — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — a cup
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — a stone
  24. scale — for weighing

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