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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rash — a series

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