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: prune · stem · last · mine · chip · ground · cabinet · lash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — for digging
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. last — final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. last — finally
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stem — to come from

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