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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tear — to rip
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — a gift
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — the time now
  11. last — final
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — after costs
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. net — for catching
  22. toast — bread
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stem — to come from

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