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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — a partner
  5. present — there
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mine — for digging
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. present — the time now
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stem — of a plant

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