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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — to come from
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a path
  12. rash — a series
  13. track — a song
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. net — in sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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