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: object · stem · arm · pop · bound · land · cabinet · snap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pop — soda
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. bound — certain
  14. land — ground
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. object — a thing
  19. land — to come down
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — music
  24. bound — tied together

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