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: stand · degree · lie · wound · stem · fan · key · sharp

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. degree — from a university
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — to bear
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lie — an untruth

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