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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. board — a committee
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ground — a position
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fan — a supporter

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