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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. club — for golf
  7. face — to point toward
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ground — a position
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — for dancing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ground — crushed

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