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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kid — to tease
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. board — a committee
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — child
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ruler — for measuring

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