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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — ground
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hand — help
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — soda
  9. land — to come down
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pop — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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