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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cold — not warm
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — to recline
  9. band — a music group
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — the cause
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a ring

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