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: land · lie · game · key · stem · season · fall · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — ground
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — in sport
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — to come down
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — of the year

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