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: bat · suit · stem · tear · court · wake · deal · mouse

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. court — for sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stem — to come from
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. suit — to fit
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. tear — to rip

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