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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. clip — to cut
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — to come from
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — all right
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. clip — a video
  18. file — a document
  19. club — for golf
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. club — a group
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tube — in a 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