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: cap · dip · mate · wound · roll · stem · coach · hand

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cap — a hat
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hand — help
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. roll — a list
  21. mate — to breed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wound — an injury

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