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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — a face
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tear — from crying
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — a cup
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. prune — to trim

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