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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spring — of water
  5. clip — a video
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spring — the season
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fan — a supporter

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