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: bowl · track · kick · spring · snap · fall · chest · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spring — of water
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to click
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chest — a box
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a song
  24. chest — of your body

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