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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wave — with your hand

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