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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — a hat
  16. season — in sport
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cue — for pool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stem — of a plant

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