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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. key — for a lock
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. season — in sport
  5. key — in music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — to point toward
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tear — to rip
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. season — of the year

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