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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. face — to point toward
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. capital — money
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rash — hasty
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. kick — in football

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