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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. root — of a word
  6. ground — a position
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ground — crushed
  9. club — a group
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rule — government
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — a law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ground — the earth

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