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: scale · bowl · wind · swing · nail · game · foot · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. game — a kind of play

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