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: lean · lie · cue · nail · pop · bore · last · stem

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — final
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — for pool

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