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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — part of the head
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rash — hasty
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. face — to confront
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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