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: present · stick · craft · stem · pop · dip · club · chest

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — a group
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. club — for golf
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — a gift
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. present — there
  17. chest — a box
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pop — soda
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — of a plant
  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