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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. net — in sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. spell — magic
  10. row — a line
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stem — to come from
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — a short time
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — to paddle
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — of the leg

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