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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — of a plant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. race — humankind
  16. file — a tool
  17. root — of a word
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — the cause
  21. pit — a hole
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — the arms race
  24. file — a line of people

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