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: perch · craft · tube · stem · spring · field · coach · charge

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. field — for sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — the season
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — a price
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. field — farmland
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. spring — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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