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: cap · scale · stem · bay · chip · field · spring · wound

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — in music
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — for sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — a subject
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — for betting
  22. field — farmland
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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