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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — to come from
  14. dip — to sink
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — in sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — for digging
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bank — of a river

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