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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — a price
  4. tube — the underground
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — in control
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chest — a box
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lie — to recline
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. degree — from a university
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — thin

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