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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lie — to recline
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stem — to come from
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tear — to rip

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