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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. row — a line
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — with your hand

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