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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bat — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — a stem cell

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