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: bound · lie · straw · season · staff · face · calf · cabinet

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — of the year
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. staff — a stick
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bound — obliged
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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