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: fine · land · chip · snap · jam · prune · stem · bay

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. land — ground
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. snap — to click
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — to eat
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. land — to come down
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fine — high quality

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