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: racket · cap · hide · mark · stem · can · squash · last

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. last — finally
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. last — to go on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — to crush
  24. can — a tin

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