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: firm · snap · toast · date · bulb · stem · straw · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. firm — decided
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — steady
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bulb — for light
  20. toast — bread
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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