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 · bay · field · lash · cold · stand · cell · fork

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. field — a subject
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fork — in a road
  15. field — farmland
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cold — the Cold War

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