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 116 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: spring · stem · lie · hand · degree · staff · pass · bass

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — a permit
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spring — the season

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