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: hand · toast · board · pit · spring · tear · wax · stem

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spring — of water
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. toast — bread
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — help
  24. toast — the most admired

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