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: chest · cold · stem · wound · object · wave · bore · current

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. current — happening now
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chest — a box
  11. current — of water
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — a thing

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