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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — an aim
  3. roll — a cake
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fall — to drop
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — to drop
  17. object — a thing
  18. cue — for pool
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. object — to protest
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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