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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spell — letters
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — magic
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. mark — a trace
  21. court — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of law

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