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 120 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: mate · wake · racket · stem · net · mug · hand · chip

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — to rob
  3. net — after costs
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mug — a face
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — in sport

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