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: bat · suit · spring · stem · cap · branch · row · object

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spring — a coil
  4. object — a thing
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. row — to paddle
  8. spring — the season
  9. row — a line
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spring — of water
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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