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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — high quality
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fine — all right

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