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 120 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: stem · mouse · lie · hide · snap · tear · mug · band

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to click
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tear — to rip
  20. band — a music group
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lie — an untruth

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