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: wind · stem · can · fork · jam · face · net · last

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wind — moving air
  13. net — in sport
  14. last — final
  15. can — to be able to
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. face — to point toward
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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