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: tear · pop · capital · lean · fine · lie · lash · ruler

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — soda
  3. tear — from crying
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. capital — a city

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