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: pitcher · nail · prune · root · stem · bore · bass · rash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. nail — on a finger

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