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: suit · wound · cue · wind · stem · snap · file · fine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wind — moving air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — all right
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — clothes

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