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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — a division
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — finally
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — final
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. last — to go on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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