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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. present — a gift
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — of a plant
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — there
  11. root — the cause
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. root — of a word
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lean — thin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. present — the time now

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