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: snap · root · stem · present · hide · prune · degree · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. present — there
  4. root — the cause
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. root — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stem — to come from
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to click
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. present — the time now
  24. degree — temperature

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