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: mine · rash · jam · stem · patient · court · can · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of law
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — a series
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — for sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — to come from
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — for digging

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