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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. net — for catching
  6. kid — child
  7. net — in sport
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a cake
  17. kid — to tease
  18. roll — a list
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. net — after costs
  24. pit — a hole

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