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: cold · wake · pit · lie · kid · bay · staff · fall

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kid — child
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — the season
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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