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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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