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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — a line
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — a partner
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. file — a document
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cap — a lid

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