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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — a country
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. march — the month
  12. land — to come down
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — to get on
  15. march — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — the earth
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — to trim

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