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: pass · content · stem · game · bear · lie · wake · cap

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a match
  5. lie — to recline
  6. content — the amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. content — happy
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — a trail
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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