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 got himself in a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. row — a line
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. saw — the tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. jam — in traffic

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