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 120 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: cap · stem · spring · row · net · face · arm · club

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — in sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spring — the season
  21. stem — to come from
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. row — a line

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