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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a dance
  6. court — of a king
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — size or range
  14. court — of law
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cell — a phone
  21. court — for sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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