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: mouse · band · stem · bat · squash · lash · press · kick

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a ring
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. band — a rubber band

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