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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — to wash
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lean — thin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — to come down
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — of the year
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wave — with your hand
  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