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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — a video
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — help
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. swing — to play on

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