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 116 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: mate · plane · shower · stem · pop · key · cap · clip

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — to wash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. clip — a video
  8. mate — a partner
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mate — to breed
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pop — soda
  14. clip — for paper
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cap — a lid
  22. shower — rain
  23. pop — music
  24. key — for a lock

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