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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. mug — a face
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  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