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: tube · cabinet · hand · lie · stem · date · snap · ruler

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — help
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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