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: bay · lie · rash · chest · pound · plane · swing · fork

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. plane — an aircraft

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