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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — for pool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. net — in sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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