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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. club — for dancing
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. club — for golf
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — a position
  18. root — of a word
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. club — a group
  24. stem — to come from

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