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: tear · wound · craft · stem · lie · file · pitch · cell

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a document
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. cell — a phone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — a tool

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