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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — the earth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. clip — a video
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. clip — for paper
  11. present — there
  12. court — of law
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — to cut
  16. row — a line
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — to trim
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. present — a gift
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ground — crushed
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — the time now

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