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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — a group
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a document
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. club — for dancing

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