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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. press — a publisher
  10. net — in sport
  11. press — to push
  12. net — after costs
  13. land — to come down
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — ground
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bat — the animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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