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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rash — hasty
  15. net — after costs
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — in music

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