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: date · stem · wind · craft · spell · club · safe · pound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. club — for golf
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — letters
  10. club — a group
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — a skill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — a handicraft

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