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: rash · stem · plane · net · fork · saw · board · scale

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — to get on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — for catching
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — a garden tool

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