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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — decided
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. firm — steady
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — employees

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