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

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — from crying
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — music
  14. tear — to rip
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mate — a friend
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stem — to come from
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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