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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — soda
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — low music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. root — of a word
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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