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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — an aim
  3. spring — the season
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. field — for sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — a thing
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. bound — tied together
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. field — a subject
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — to go away

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