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: pitch · club · stem · fork · rush · nail · spring · wind

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. club — for golf
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spring — the season
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — a group
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — of water

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