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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fall — the season

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