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: tear · land · mark · bore · hide · bound · face · stem

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tear — from crying
  6. face — to confront
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — a grade
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bound — certain
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bound — obliged

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