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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — help
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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