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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. file — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ground — a position
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a handicraft

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