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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wax — to grow
  6. file — a tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. file — a document
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — certain
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — obliged
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lie — an untruth

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