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 120 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: ball · pitcher · bulb · clip · drill · stem · calf · present

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — army training
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. present — there
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — a young animal

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