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: hand · fine · patient · bark · content · racket · stem · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — high quality
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fine — all right
  24. hand — in cards

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