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 116 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: pit · chip · lash · stem · squash · band · racket · court

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a music group
  18. court — for sport
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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