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 120 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: cue · prune · ground · tube · bank · race · stem · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ground — a position
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — of a river
  6. present — a gift
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — for pool

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