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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. object — an aim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — a thing
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stem — a stem cell

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