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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. present — there
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — the time now
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stem — a stem cell

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