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

Word bank: last · shower · patient · content · calf · stem · safe · ruler

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — finally
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — final
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. shower — rain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — to go on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — the amount

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