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: kid · hide · mate · racket · degree · stem · pit · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. degree — temperature
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a hole
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — child
  17. degree — an amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — in a race
  23. degree — from a university
  24. saw — the tool

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