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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. face — part of the head
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spell — magic
  24. pound — to hit hard

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