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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tear — to rip
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. club — a group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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