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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. branch — a division
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — there
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. present — the time now
  20. rule — government
  21. bass — the fish
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. present — a gift
  24. rule — to rule out

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