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

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — help
  5. bass — the fish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — to recline
  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