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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chip — for betting
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. club — a group
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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