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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — humankind
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — wild animals
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — to drill

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