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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mate — to breed
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — a list
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a match
  24. club — a group

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