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: stem · deal · cap · jam · snap · spring · lie · sharp

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spring — a coil
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lie — to recline
  12. deal — to handle
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to click
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spring — the season
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. sharp — clever

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