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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — happy
  24. key — in music

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