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

Word bank: firm · row · capital · face · lie · pit · staff · stem

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to confront
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — money
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. face — part of the head
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — to paddle
  23. capital — a city
  24. pit — in a race

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