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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — to point toward
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. present — there
  7. rock — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — a gift
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. branch — a division
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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