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: spell · wake · stem · perch · ground · fork · object · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. club — for dancing
  9. object — an aim
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ground — a position
  12. spell — magic
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — a group
  19. fork — in a road
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — letters
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stem — of a plant

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