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 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. object — to protest
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. staff — a stick
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. object — an aim
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to click
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — the fruit
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bass — low music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — to come from

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