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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. court — of law
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. charge — a price
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — to come from
  24. charge — in control

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