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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — ground
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. land — to come down
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. snap — to click
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wake — a trail
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. tear — to rip

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