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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. face — part of the head

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