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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a ring
  7. bound — obliged
  8. object — an aim
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. object — to protest
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. field — for sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — farmland
  16. row — a line
  17. tear — to rip
  18. field — a subject
  19. bound — certain
  20. band — a music group
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. object — a thing

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