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: field · pound · lash · stem · tear · straw · hand · temple

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hand — help
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tear — to rip
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — farmland
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stem — to come from
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — a subject

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