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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stem — to come from
  6. face — to confront
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. track — to keep track
  9. vault — a safe
  10. capital — money
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — a path
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. track — a song
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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