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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for golf
  9. stem — to come from
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. club — a group
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lie — to recline
  21. club — for dancing
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. prune — to trim

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