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

Word bank: lie · arm · pound · stem · ground · lash · saw · fork

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ground — crushed
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ground — a position
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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