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: scale · nail · degree · stem · straw · board · fork · patient

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fork — in a road
  18. degree — an amount
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — a straw man

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