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: kick · tube · stem · season · fork · shower · net · file

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. file — a document
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a tool
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — rain
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — to wash
  17. net — in sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. stem — of a plant

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