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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rule — a law
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — a division
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — a position

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