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: fan · stem · net · rush · present · chair · kick · object

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. object — to protest
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — for catching
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. present — there
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. present — the time now
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — in sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. kick — in football

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