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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to click
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. field — farmland
  10. lie — to recline
  11. field — for sport
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. foot — a measure
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stem — to come from
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. branch — a division
  23. field — a subject
  24. lie — an untruth

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