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 116 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. last — finally
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — final
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. last — to go on

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