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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — to handle
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — part of the head
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. arm — part of the body

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