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: coach · cell · stem · rash · clip · cabinet · wax · arm

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — a video
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rash — a series
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. arm — part of the body

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