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: wound · bound · temple · stand · dip · mate · bat · lie

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — to recline
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — a partner
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bat — the animal

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