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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bound — certain
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — bread
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — a position
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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