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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. last — finally
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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