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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. roll — a cake
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. roll — a list
  9. rash — a series
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — for catching
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — in sport
  24. stem — a stem cell

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