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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — a box
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mine — for digging
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lie — to recline

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