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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. last — finally
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. last — final
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to click
  21. last — to go on
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. land — a country

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