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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. snap — to click
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — of the year
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — in sport
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fan — a supporter

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