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 116 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 · wind · kid · perch · dip · chip · staff · hand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — to recline
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — child
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — for betting

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