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 · kid · pound · hand · firm · face · ruler · toast

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. firm — decided
  7. toast — bread
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — steady
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. kid — child
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — help

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