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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tear — from crying
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to click
  24. craft — boats

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