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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. shower — rain
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. drill — a practice
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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