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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bulb — for light

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