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: jam · cue · bat · racket · calf · stem · lie · stock

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cue — a hint
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stem — to come from
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — goods
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — shares
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — the animal

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