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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lie — to recline
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. game — a match
  20. saw — the tool
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — all right
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fine — high quality

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