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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. object — an aim
  13. last — to go on
  14. tube — the underground
  15. object — to protest
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — finally
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. face — to point toward
  23. object — a thing
  24. last — final

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