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: toast · roll · suit · wake · straw · lie · face · tear

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. roll — a cake
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to confront
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tear — to rip
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. roll — a list
  21. lie — to recline
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — from crying

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