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: chair · cabinet · tear · lie · rest · hand · perch · root

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rest — a break
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — to rip
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. root — of a word
  13. hand — help
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lie — to recline

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