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: rock · saw · stick · tear · pound · pit · stem · present

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — a stone
  12. present — there
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. present — a gift
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tear — from crying
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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