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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pit — a hole
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — a supporter

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