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: lie · tear · plane · coach · rush · object · hide · court

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. object — to protest
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — a thing
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — an untruth

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