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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — an illness
  4. charge — in control
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cold — not warm
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — to rip
  20. charge — a price
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — dry grass

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