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 · staff · tube · mug · mine · lie · ruler · field

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — farmland
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — to come from
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — for sport
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mine — for digging
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ruler — for measuring

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