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: fall · lie · bark · wound · craft · band · stock · temple

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stock — goods
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — shares
  14. band — a music group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. craft — boats
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lie — to recline
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fall — the season
  23. band — a ring
  24. fall — to drop

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