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: rash · field · deal · bore · stem · prune · race · hide

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. race — the arms race
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — to tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bore — to drill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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