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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — for catching
  10. date — the fruit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — in music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. club — for dancing
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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