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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spring — the season
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. spring — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. race — a contest
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tear — from crying

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