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: leaves · stock · fork · stem · craft · row · tube · patient

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — boats
  18. stock — shares
  19. row — a line
  20. tube — a container
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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