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: bat · stem · saw · wave · court · mouse · bore · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of law
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of a king
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bat — the animal
  24. court — for sport

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