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: stem · band · root · sharp · hide · wax · spell · bank

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wax — to grow
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — magic
  23. root — of a word
  24. bank — of a river

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