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: root · plane · stem · tear · date · hide · hand · stick

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. date — the fruit
  4. root — the cause
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — a tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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