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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — to paddle
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rock — music
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — a measure
  17. row — a line
  18. track — a song
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — not warm
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stem — to come from

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