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: key · cap · squash · bat · fork · saw · stem · toast

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. squash — to crush
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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