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 116 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: kick · mug · leaves · file · present · lie · drill · tear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. present — there
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — a gift
  16. file — a document
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. file — a line of people
  22. drill — a practice
  23. tear — from crying
  24. file — a tool

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