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: lie · mate · rest · chest · snap · deal · ball · stand

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lie — to recline
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — a box
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stand — to bear

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