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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — a container
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — a law
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rule — government
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chest — a box
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. row — a line

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