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: bank · land · season · stem · snap · pound · rush · object

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. snap — to click
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — a thing
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — to come down
  17. object — to protest
  18. pound — a weight
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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