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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — of law
  9. hand — help
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. march — music
  18. court — for sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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