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: chip · mug · fan · can · stem · scale · straw · roll

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — a face
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a cup
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — to be able to

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