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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — the season
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — a subject
  24. land — a country

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