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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stem — to come from
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — a cake
  9. charge — in control
  10. roll — a list
  11. charge — electricity
  12. clip — a video
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — happy
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — the amount
  24. charge — a price

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