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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bound — tied together
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. root — the cause
  13. shower — rain
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. root — of a word
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stem — a stem cell

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