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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bank — of a river

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