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: kid · ground · coach · arm · stem · calf · mouse · spring

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — a position
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spring — of water
  15. kid — child
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stem — to come from
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ground — the earth
  24. calf — of the leg

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