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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — a position
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rock — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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