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: lean · chest · wound · lie · game · cabinet · face · root

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. face — to confront
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. game — a match
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chest — a box
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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