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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. fork — in a road
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to click
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. field — a subject
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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