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: squash · stem · board · mate · bass · foot · cabinet · spring

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — of water
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — the season
  19. bass — low music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — part of the body

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