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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — the season
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — to tire

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