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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — the earth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ground — a position
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. row — a line

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