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: root · hide · chest · kid · last · stem · pass · march

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chest — a box
  6. march — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. last — to go on
  12. march — the month
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. last — final
  18. root — of a word
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — child

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