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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — to sink
  11. capital — money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. capital — a city
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — boats
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — of the leg

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