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: last · prune · drill · chip · stem · rule · mug · mine

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rule — a law
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chip — to eat
  5. last — final
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — government
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — army training
  24. last — finally

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