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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. drill — a practice
  4. perch — the fish
  5. season — of the year
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. march — the month
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. drill — army training

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