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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — to rip
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. foot — the bottom

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