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: dip · clip · season · drill · calf · pop · stem · branch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — a division
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pop — soda
  9. season — of the year
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — to sink

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