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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. face — to confront
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a song
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mine — belonging to me

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