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: racket · stem · bowl · wind · perch · squash · drill · calf

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — the fish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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