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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ground — a position

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