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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. net — after costs
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. net — in sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — rain
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. can — to be able to

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