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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — to go on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — final
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. last — finally
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — boats
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. craft — a skill

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