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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — the cause
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. clip — to cut
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — the season
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. board — to get on
  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