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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. tear — to rip
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lean — thin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chip — for betting
  10. craft — boats
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chair — a professorship

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