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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. land — to come down
  6. mine — for digging
  7. land — ground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. kick — in football
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — a container
  14. stem — to come from
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — a country
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — to recline

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