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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — a position
  3. firm — a company
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. present — the time now
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — there
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird

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