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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — of water
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — a coil

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