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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — completely
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stem — to come from
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — for a lock

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