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: nail · bear · game · jam · stem · prune · straw · cue

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cue — for pool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. game — a match
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bear — the animal

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