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: bore · safe · stem · pop · fan · pound · wave · prune

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pop — soda
  20. stem — to come from
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bore — to tire

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