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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — the arms race
  3. content — happy
  4. hand — help
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. branch — a division
  11. content — the amount
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. race — a contest
  15. hand — in cards
  16. race — humankind
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bowl — a dish

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