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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. game — a match
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — a price
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. band — a music group
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bowl — a dish

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