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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — happy
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. snap — to click
  17. content — the amount
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tear — to rip
  23. present — the time now
  24. stem — a stem cell

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