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: key · tear · land · net · foot · calf · lie · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — ground
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tear — to rip
  22. net — after costs
  23. land — a country
  24. calf — of the leg

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