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: stem · deal · fan · hand · bore · pit · date · wound

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — help
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — an injury

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