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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. tube — a container
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — a trail
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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