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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — to come from
  11. clip — a video
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lie — an untruth

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