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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — the fish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — all right
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cold — not warm
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — a series

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