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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. squash — the sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — in cards
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — for pool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hand — help
  24. stem — to come from

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