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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. net — in sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. net — for catching
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — of a plant
  23. net — after costs
  24. prune — to trim

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