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: stem · perch · last · spring · net · hide · ground · bear

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spring — the season
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. last — finally
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — crushed

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