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: bat · lie · coach · stand · stem · bark · arm · kick

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stem — to come from
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — in football
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — in an idiom

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