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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spell — letters
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — a short time
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spell — magic
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fork — a garden tool

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