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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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