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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — of the year
  8. capital — money
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. season — in sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. capital — a city
  17. wound — an injury
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bore — to tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lie — to recline

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