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: fall · lie · calf · net · tear · march · last · scale

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. net — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — in music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tear — from crying
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fall — the season
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — to recline
  14. march — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — to rip
  18. last — finally
  19. net — after costs
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. last — final
  23. fall — to drop
  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