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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — to shout
  11. board — to get on
  12. season — in sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. drill — army training
  24. stem — to come from

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