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 · leaves · pop · kid · degree · hide · wake · sharp

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pop — music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kid — child

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