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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lie — to recline
  6. last — to go on
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chair — a leader
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. roll — a list
  18. net — after costs
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. shower — rain
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. net — for catching

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