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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — certain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — rain
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. file — a tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. press — newspapers
  15. shower — to wash
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — hasty
  19. file — a line of people
  20. press — to push
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a document

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