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: bound · dip · chest · bass · row · bay · tube · lie

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — a container
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bound — obliged
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — a box
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. bound — certain
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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