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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chair — a leader
  10. face — part of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. march — the month

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