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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — in football
  12. rest — a break
  13. row — a line
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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