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: mine · stem · cell · kick · tube · pound · racket · bear

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. kick — in football
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. racket — a loud noise

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