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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — to come from
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — from crying
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — government
  24. stem — a stem cell

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