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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. race — humankind
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — of the leg

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