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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. court — of a king
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. face — to point toward
  8. court — of law
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — for sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chest — a box
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — the cause
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — an explosive

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