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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cell — a phone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. clip — a video
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — of water
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. current — happening now

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