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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. staff — employees
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — a country
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — ground
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — a container
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. land — to come down
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — a hint
  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