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 · field · branch · stick · perch · face · kid · shower

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — child
  4. face — part of the head
  5. perch — the fish
  6. field — farmland
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. shower — rain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — for sport
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. field — a subject
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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