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 120 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: foot · stem · branch · object · pitcher · fan · squash · hand

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hand — help
  5. object — to protest
  6. squash — the sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — to crush
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hand — in cards
  17. branch — a division
  18. object — a thing
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — of a plant

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