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: stem · hand · march · bat · track · cue · wound · race

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — a path
  5. hand — help
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. track — a song
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — in cards
  20. march — the month
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. track — to keep track

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