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: swing · tear · bear · field · dip · stem · cue · branch

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. swing — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. field — a subject
  14. swing — to play on
  15. field — farmland
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — a signal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tear — from crying
  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