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: current · bowl · prune · toast · fan · tear · stand · stem

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — to rip
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stand — to bear
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. toast — bread
  24. current — of water

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