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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — to sink
  18. face — to confront
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a line of people

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