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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · stem · wind · tear · object · safe

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. object — a thing
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. object — an aim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tear — to rip
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wind — moving air
  18. 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