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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — to come from
  10. object — an aim
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. degree — temperature
  16. season — of the year
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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