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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fine — all right
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — a coil
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kick — in football

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