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 120 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 · chest · bore · face · lean · fine · dip · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — all right
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chest — a box
  15. drill — army training
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — to tire

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