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

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a committee
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bark — to shout
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — to get on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — a straw man

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