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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. last — finally
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chest — a box
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fine — all right
  20. last — to go on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — help
  24. chest — of your body

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