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: field · stick · bore · pop · swing · stem · chip · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pop — soda
  3. stem — to come from
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — farmland
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. field — a subject
  8. bore — to drill
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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