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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. face — to point toward
  3. row — to paddle
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — child
  7. dip — to sink
  8. row — a line
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — to tease
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — a country
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to confront
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — to bear

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