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: kick · tear · safe · wind · stand · coach · land · stem

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. land — ground
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — in football
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stand — to bear

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