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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — to go on
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mine — for digging
  12. current — electric
  13. last — finally
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. last — final
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitcher — a jug

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