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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. scale — in music

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