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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — in music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bass — low music
  24. racket — for tennis

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