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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — steady
  4. lean — thin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bound — certain
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — a match
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cap — a hat
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — obliged

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