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: firm · stem · wax · cap · bat · lie · file · trunk

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. file — a tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cap — a hat

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