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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chest — of your body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. drill — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — for catching
  11. tear — from crying
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — music
  14. net — in sport
  15. chest — a box
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tear — to rip
  18. drill — army training
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. dip — to sink
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. drill — a practice

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