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 116 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: perch · deal · coach · mouse · stem · pass · hand · game

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hand — help
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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