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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. band — a ring
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a cake
  22. tube — a container
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a music group

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