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: tear · pitcher · lie · stem · deal · jam · object · degree

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — from a university
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — temperature
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. deal — to handle
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — an amount
  22. object — an aim
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stem — of a plant

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