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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tear — to rip

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