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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — help
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — to come down
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — the season
  17. key — in music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — ground
  20. key — the most important part
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — to handle

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