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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — a trail
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — to recline
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a lid
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a word
  23. chip — to eat
  24. row — to paddle

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