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: pound · branch · stem · stand · march · file · fall · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — music
  10. file — a document
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. file — a tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pound — a weight
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — to bear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. file — a line of people

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