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: track · cabinet · court · shower · safe · patient · racket · stem

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — a path
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — to come from
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. shower — rain
  24. safe — a strongbox

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