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: shower · lie · ground · stem · pound · mouse · mark · vault

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ground — crushed
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ground — the earth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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