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: pop · stem · mine · rash · pass · clip · lie · mug

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. clip — a video
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — to recline
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rash — a series
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pop — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rash — hasty
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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