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: stem · foot · nail · march · fork · row · perch · board

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — in a road
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — to come from
  9. foot — a measure
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a committee
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — the fish
  19. board — to get on
  20. march — music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — for a bird

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