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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. land — ground
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cold — an illness
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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