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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rash — a series
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — a group
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rash — on the skin

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