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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — to recline
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — help
  16. row — a line
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — thin

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