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: mine · last · trunk · bear · can · stem · bowl · row

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. last — to go on
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. last — finally
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. row — a quarrel

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