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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cold — an illness
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lean — to bend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mug — a cup

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