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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — to keep track
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. track — a song
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — for digging
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spring — of water

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