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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — rain
  9. tear — from crying
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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