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: kid · lie · content · mug · tear · rash · lean · court

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of a king
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — of law
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a face
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lie — to recline
  14. court — for sport
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — child
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rash — a series
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. content — happy

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