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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chest — a box
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — the animal

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