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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. content — happy
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mark — a grade
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. content — the amount
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. root — of a word
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stem — of a plant

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