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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. clip — to cut
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fall — the season
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. last — to go on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. clip — a video
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. clip — for paper
  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