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: stem · cold · swing · lie · racket · arm · nail · craft

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — boats
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stem — to come from
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a skill

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