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: mine · pit · leaves · stem · toast · tube · spell · season

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. season — in sport
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — letters
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spell — magic
  18. stem — to come from
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — a short time
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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