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: stick · row · bowl · root · game · lie · straw · chest

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — a match
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a line
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lie — to recline
  20. root — the cause
  21. row — to paddle
  22. root — of a plant
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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