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: wound · stand · staff · lie · spell · hide · race · spring

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — of water
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — employees
  15. race — the arms race
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — letters
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — the season
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — humankind
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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