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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — a hat
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — farmland
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — a break
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — to confront

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