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 120 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: wave · prune · chip · fan · field · perch · stem · bear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — farmland
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — the fish

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