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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. content — happy
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. clip — a video
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. clip — to cut
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bound — tied together
  17. clip — for paper
  18. content — the amount

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