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 120 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: face · racket · last · hand · bound · stem · dip · game

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bound — tied together
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. game — a match
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — in cards
  17. face — to confront
  18. bound — certain
  19. last — final
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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