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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. cell — in biology
  12. game — wild animals
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ground — a position
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — a division
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cell — a phone

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