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: spring · stem · cue · roll · scale · tube · plane · hand

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cue — for pool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. roll — a list
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cue — a hint
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spring — of water
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. scale — in music

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