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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. ball — a round shape

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