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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · straw · tear · branch · bear · root · pop · fan

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — a division
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. root — the cause
  19. pop — soda
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. root — of a word
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. branch — of a tree

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