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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fine — high quality
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. season — in sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — all right
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stock — a soup base
  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