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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a cup
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — the season
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fall — to drop

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