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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — for sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — to bend
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — to come from
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — a country
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — in sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. land — to come down
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — magic
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — a subject
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. land — ground

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