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: fan · dip · march · arm · bear · tear · stem · bulb

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — music
  24. tear — to rip

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