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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. land — a country
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. prune — to trim
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. land — ground
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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