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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — a coil
  5. season — in sport
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. season — of the year
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — a stone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spring — of water

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