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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — to shout
  4. track — a path
  5. fall — the season
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. scale — in music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lie — an untruth

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