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: stem · bore · field · kid · dip · vault · firm · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. firm — a company
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bore — to tire
  7. firm — steady
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. firm — decided
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bore — to drill
  18. field — a subject
  19. date — the fruit
  20. field — for sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stem — to come from
  23. field — farmland
  24. dip — a sauce

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