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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — a partner
  3. kick — in football
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. face — to confront
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — to breed
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — a friend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — to come from
  24. face — to point toward

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