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 · lie · bay · kick · pass · face · fall · pound

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tear — to rip
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — to confront
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kick — in football
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fall — the season

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