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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stem — to come from

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