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 · can · mine · land · clip · kick · net · board

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. net — after costs
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — in football
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. clip — to cut
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. clip — a video
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. clip — for paper

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