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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — a break
  11. fall — the season
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stock — shares
  16. cold — not warm
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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