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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — a law
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — an aim
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. file — a tool
  21. pop — music
  22. tear — to rip
  23. file — a document
  24. object — a thing

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