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: hand · sharp · stem · nail · net · kick · leaves · coach

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — in football

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