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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — to go on
  7. field — for sport
  8. last — final
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — from crying
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. last — finally
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — farmland

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