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: hide · cell · club · staff · stand · row · branch · tube

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. cell — a phone
  8. club — for golf
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. row — a line
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — a group
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cell — in a prison

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