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

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. snap — to click
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — to breed
  5. face — to confront
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mate — a friend
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — a trail
  20. firm — decided
  21. last — finally
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — part of the head
  24. last — final

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