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: ground · lean · rush · bore · staff · last · kid · stem

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kid — child
  3. last — finally
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ground — a position
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. staff — employees
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. staff — employees

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