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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · stand · fall · cell · racket · kid

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fall — the season
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cell — a phone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kid — child
  18. cell — in biology

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