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: stem · fork · board · bat · vault · bound · jam · pop

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. board — a committee
  3. pop — to visit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bat — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bound — certain
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pop — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — tied together

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