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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — to confront
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — to tease
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. toast — bread
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. kid — child
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ground — a position

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