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

Word bank: straw · squash · staff · mate · stem · row · court · fork

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — a line
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — of law
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fork — in a road
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. court — for sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mate — a friend
  18. court — of a king
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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