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: prune · cap · bat · key · stand · lash · lie · current

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — happening now
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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