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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a song
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. last — final
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fall — the season
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — of ice
  23. last — finally
  24. toast — the most admired

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