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 · fall · stem · firm · jam · rest · prune · kid

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — child
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. firm — a company
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kid — to tease
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — to come from

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