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: kid · cue · mine · swing · bowl · calf · stem · rest

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — music
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kid — child
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cue — for pool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a signal

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