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 · pass · pound · stem · jam · tear · deal · spell

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spell — magic
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — in football
  16. tear — to rip
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — to hit hard

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