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: staff · swing · prune · date · lean · net · calf · stem

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. swing — in golf
  10. net — in sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. net — after costs
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lean — thin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — of the leg

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