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 120 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 · mug · mate · dip · swing · bound · stick · rash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. rash — a series
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — certain
  24. dip — to dunk

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