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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — of water
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — the season
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. shower — to wash
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — a coil
  24. shower — rain

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