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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · rule · chest · racket · fork · stem

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chest — a box
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rock — a stone

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