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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — to come from
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — thin
  16. fall — the season
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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