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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. object — an aim
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. fine — all right
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — a coil
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — to protest
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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