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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — a thing
  3. spring — of water
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — a coil
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — to protest
  24. spring — 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