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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rest — a break
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — a line
  24. cell — in biology

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