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 120 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 · rest · swing · lie · land · fan · bound · row

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — a break
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — to play on
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — a country
  10. row — a line
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. swing — music
  24. rest — what's left

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