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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — the season
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — the amount
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. temple — side of the head

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