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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mug — a face
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. branch — a division
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fine — high quality
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mug — a cup
  20. game — a match
  21. mug — to rob
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fine — all right

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