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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — a stick
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — a thing
  10. content — the amount
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stem — to come from
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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