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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. root — the cause
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — of a word
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. root — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. shower — rain
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — tied together
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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