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: bowl · chip · shower · pit · bulb · stem · march · prune

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — to wash
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. shower — rain
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a hole
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — the fruit

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