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: kick · cell · stem · wind · ruler · shower · ball · net

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. 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. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — moving air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — in sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — in football
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. 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