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: tear · fine · spring · degree · mate · wake · lie · chest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chest — a box
  5. fine — all right
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — of water
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tear — to rip
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spring — the season
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. tear — from crying
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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