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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spring — of water
  7. object — a thing
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spring — the season
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. object — an aim

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