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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — to recline
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — music
  24. chair — to sit on

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