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 · lie · tube · can · cabinet · racket · content · kick

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. kick — in football
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cabinet — ministers

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