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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mate — a friend
  6. face — to point toward
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. kid — child
  9. roll — a cake
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — part of the head

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