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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lie — to recline
  3. capital — a city
  4. board — a committee
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — decided
  11. chest — of your body
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. capital — money
  18. chest — a box
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kick — in football

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