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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — to come down
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  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