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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — finally
  4. clip — for paper
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. last — final
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a document
  9. stem — to come from
  10. file — a line of people
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. can — to be able to
  19. last — to go on
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — to cut

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