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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. court — of a king
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. season — of the year
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of law
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. season — in sport
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fine — all right
  23. court — for sport
  24. wound — an injury

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