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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — decided
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. branch — a division
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bass — low music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cold — an illness

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