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: row · content · club · net · roll · kid · stem · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. row — to paddle
  3. kid — child
  4. club — for golf
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — in sport
  12. roll — a cake
  13. kid — to tease
  14. club — a group
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. roll — a list
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. content — the amount
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — to come from

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