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

Word bank: wave · bat · bear · deal · kid · stem

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. kid — child

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