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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — electric
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. board — a committee
  23. ground — crushed
  24. clip — a video

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