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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — a country
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — to protest
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — to grow
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — for digging

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