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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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. pitch — a sports field
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — shares
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stock — a soup base

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