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 · bulb · plane · lie · pass · chest · object · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — an aim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — to protest
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chest — a box
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — a permit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bulb — for light

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