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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — the season
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. root — the cause
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chest — a box
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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