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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — magic
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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