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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — of water
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — the season
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — a committee
  24. pit — a hole

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