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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kick — in football
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — a container
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a car

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