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: content · calf · dip · spell · tube · stem · pitcher · stick

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — happy
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — magic
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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