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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stem — to come from
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kick — in football
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — a container
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lie — an untruth

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