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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · face · club · shower · lie · stand · board · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — to bear
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — rain
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tear — to rip
  8. club — for golf
  9. board — a committee
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — from crying
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — for digging
  24. face — to point toward

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