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: field · object · net · drill · face · kick · cue · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cue — a signal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cue — for pool
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — to confront
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — after costs
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — a subject
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — farmland
  21. net — for catching
  22. kick — in football
  23. drill — army training
  24. field — for sport

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