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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. snap — to click
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a match
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — a break
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — what's left

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