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: pop · nail · craft · coach · content · stem · saw · clip

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pop — soda
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — a skill
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. clip — a video
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — happy

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