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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — a weight
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — a phone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — a series
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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