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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — in music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chest — a box
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — a price
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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