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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — certain
  5. land — ground
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — to come down
  9. mate — to breed
  10. land — a country
  11. clip — a video
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — tied together
  16. clip — to cut
  17. file — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — an untruth

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