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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. clip — for paper
  6. face — to confront
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. clip — to cut
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. face — part of the head
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — a signal
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — a video
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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