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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bore — to tire
  11. firm — a company
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chest — a box
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — a series

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