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: hide · cue · racket · net · wind · stem · fall · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stem — to come from
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fall — the season
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — after costs
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a ring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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