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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a music group
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a ring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — for pool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — to rip
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stem — of a plant

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