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: cap · stem · swing · wound · suit · game · present · net

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. swing — in golf
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — to fit
  6. present — a gift
  7. net — in sport
  8. swing — music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. net — for catching

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