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: mine · saw · rest · lie · content · field · stem · mate

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — for sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — videos and posts

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