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: chest · bulb · lie · net · hide · face · kick · pound

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — after costs
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — in football
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. face — to confront
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. net — for catching
  24. chest — a box

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