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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. season — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of a king
  24. nail — for a hammer

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