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 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a dance
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — the time now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. present — there
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. row — to paddle
  24. field — farmland

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