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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mate — to breed
  14. game — a match
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — to recline
  18. march — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — the month
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wake — before a funeral

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