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: lie · hand · rule · bear · hide · stick · bat · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — a law
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — help
  17. rule — government
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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