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: roll · lie · drill · bass · content · leaves · cold · stem

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — the amount
  4. drill — army training
  5. cold — not warm
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cold — an illness
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. drill — a practice
  19. roll — a cake
  20. content — happy
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — a list
  24. stem — a stem cell

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