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: net · cabinet · tear · face · bay · stand · rule · lean

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — to confront
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lean — thin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. face — part of the head
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — to point toward
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — from crying
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — a law
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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