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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — to bear
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. row — a line
  10. face — to confront
  11. land — a country
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — part of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. land — to come down
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — to point toward
  22. board — to get on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. vault — a safe

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