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: mate · bay · stem · kick · lie · rest · roll · snap

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — a break
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. roll — a list
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to click
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stem — to come from
  24. kick — with a leg

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