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: present · deal · bowl · lie · cell · mug · stem · branch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mug — a face
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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