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: track · land · racket · lie · stem · mug · bass · mine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — a path
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — to come from

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