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: snap · bore · stem · track · dip · straw · calf · field

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. snap — to click
  5. field — for sport
  6. track — a song
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. field — farmland
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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