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: mate · pop · leaves · pitcher · cap · roll · lie · rest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — a list
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lie — to recline
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — soda
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mate — a friend

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