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: lie · stem · ball · bore · net · staff · season · sharp

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — to drill
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — in sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — for catching
  24. season — of the year

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