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: jam · lie · chip · bass · last · tube · field · stem

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. last — to go on
  4. bass — low music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. last — final
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. chip — for betting
  19. field — farmland
  20. bass — the fish
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — a container

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