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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — in control
  5. track — a song
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. present — there
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — to keep track
  19. can — to be able to
  20. present — the time now
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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