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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — happy
  7. staff — a stick
  8. content — the amount
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — of the year
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. toast — bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. content — videos and posts

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