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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bass — low music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. row — a line
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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