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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. court — of a king
  10. cue — for pool
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — a line
  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