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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. press — to push
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ground — a position
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — a phone
  24. saw — the tool

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