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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. land — to come down
  5. bear — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. land — ground
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. object — an aim
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stem — to come from
  13. game — wild animals
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. land — a country
  23. toast — bread
  24. bear — the animal

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