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: net · object · staff · stem · saw · can · kid · chest

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — an aim
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kid — child
  21. staff — a stick
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. chest — a box

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