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: pass · bore · trunk · mate · race · stem · content · wind

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mate — a partner
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — happy
  12. race — humankind
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mate — to breed
  16. race — the arms race
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wind — to turn a key

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