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 · cell · hand · bay · lie · pound · calf · band

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a music group
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — a phone
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a ring
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hand — in cards

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