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: firm · date · fall · calf · land · stem · present · wave

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — a company
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — steady
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. firm — decided
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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