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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. drill — army training
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. roll — a list
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — for catching
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. swing — music
  16. hand — help
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — a practice
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — government

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