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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. firm — a company
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — to come from
  9. firm — decided
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chest — a box
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. land — ground

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