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: stick · club · stem · row · net · capital · mate · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. net — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mate — a partner
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — a line
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. row — to paddle
  12. net — for catching
  13. capital — money
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — in a road
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — for golf
  24. mate — to breed

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