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 116 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 · lash · squash · field · bulb · mark · fall · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — to come from
  5. field — farmland
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. field — a subject
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. squash — the sport

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