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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — in cards
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — electric
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lie — to recline
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — happening 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