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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. craft — boats
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a leader
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rest — what's left
  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